1 . It was Betty's birthday, December 6th. She received (接收) a letter from her uncle. “Dear Betty,” he wrote in his letter, “Happy birthday! I'm sending you some hens (母鸡). They will arrive (到达) the day after tomorrow. I hope you'll like them. Uncle Tony. December 5th.”
Betty was very happy. She likes eating eggs and chicken. “I can keep the hens for their eggs or eat them.” She thought.
When the hens arrived, they were in a box. Betty was very pleased (高兴). She took the box off the truck and began to carry it into her garden, but the box of hens was so heavy that she dropped (掉落) it.
The box fell on the ground and broke (摔坏). The hens all ran out. They ran here and there. Betty spent hours trying to find them.
A few days later, her uncle came. He asked, “Did the hens arrive safely (安全地)?” “Yes, but I dropped the box. It broke open and the hens ran everywhere. It took me the whole (整个) morning to look for them.” Betty said.“Did you find them all?” asked her uncle. “I hope so,” Betty answered, “but I only caught (抓到) eleven of them.”“That's interesting. I only sent you six.” her uncle said with a smile.
1. What did Betty receive from her uncle as a birthday present?______________________________________________________________
2. When did Betty receive the hens?
______________________________________________________________
3. Where were the hens when they arrived?
______________________________________________________________
4. Why did the hens run everywhere?
______________________________________________________________
5. How many hens did Betty's uncle give her?
______________________________________________________________
In the deserts(沙漠)of North Africa and Saudi Arabia lives the smallest fox with the largest ears. This animal is the fennec fox.
Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That’s big for an animal that weighs less than four pounds. Their ears help shed (去除) body heat. And， as you may have guessed， they also provide great hearing.
It’s also interesting to think about the hair of fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the desert need a thick， fur coat? Actually， the desert isn’t always warm. During the nighttime， a desert can be terribly cold! A fennec fox’s fur keeps them warm during those desert nights. They also have long bushy tails that they use as a blanket. And the hair on their feet protects them from the hot sand in the daytime.
Fennec foxes live in small communities of dens (兽穴).They spend most of the day sleeping in their dens， out of the hot sun. Then， when night comes， they come out in search of food. In addition to(除……之外) their great hearing， fennecs also use their great sense of smell and big eyes to track down dinner.
Fennecs eat both meat and plants. They like eating birds， eggs， insects， snails， fruit and leaves best. Fennec fox mothers have one to five babies at a time. Sometimes they are in danger. They have to be careful with predators (捕食性动物)， such as caracals (a type of wild cat) ， jackals， eagle owls， hyenas and humans. Humans catch them for their fur and to sell as pets.
| Fennec Foxes | |
| Living areas | ◆ |
| Appearance | ◆They are the ◆Their thick fur ◆The hair on their feet protects them from the heat of the sand during the |
| Ability | ◆They have very good ◆They are also good at tracking down dinner with their great sense of |
| Character | ◆They live in small communities. ◆They ◆At |
| Food | ◆They eat both meat and plants. ◆Their |
| ◆They are hunted by caracals， jackals， eagle owls， hyenas and humans. | |
A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple tree he grew.
One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift,but he did not know where to plant it.
He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house,his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his wood. But without sunlight and good soil(土壤),the tree soon died,
Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. "What's the difference? " the farmer said angrily and then told what he had thought.
"Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit,but also you have destroyed (毁掉) a good apple tree !"
1. Was the farmer famous for planting the apple tree?
2. What gift did the farmer get from his friend one day?
3. Did the farmer plant the apple tree near his house or in his wood at last?
4. Why did the apple tree soon die?
5. Who destroyed the apple tree?
